Contexts Editor

This will be my last editorial as editor of this publication. After 8 years, I am glad to be finishing. I really really want that Contexts-shaped corner of my life back. I am tired, slightly jaded even and, partly because of this, a change is needed. Contexts needs a new source of energy, new vision, new ideas. A constant issue that is faced by GASi’s management committee is the shortage of members prepared to take on the multiple jobs, posts, roles (whatever we call them) involved in the running of all that we do. Consequently, some stay in their role way beyond what is probably healthy or democratic.  In this sense, this feels like the right and proper time to be vacating the role.

Although there were difficult times and painful experiences, on the whole, je ne regrette rien (https://youtu.be/7ptvTj–8wE), and there are one or two things I think I’ve done well. The part of the role that I enjoyed most, and which gave me the greatest buzz, was when I invited others to get involved, whether as guest editor or to write something on a specific issue or event, or to write something brief, however short, sometimes to be published for the first time … and they responded … often with contributions above and beyond the call. Definitely, I’m grateful to ALL who contributed over the years. But I’m deeply grateful to:

guest editors Christine Thornton (Reflective Practice, C75, Spring 2017), Maria José Blanco & Luis Palacios (Group Analysis in Spanish, C92a & 92b, Summer 2021;

poetry editor Marcus Price (who brought us FAG or Free Associative Gifts, which burned brightly for several years with a wide range of contributors);

author Mike Tait, of The Visitors, a visionary Psi-Fi Tale, serialised over several years between C74, Autumn 2016 and C82, Winter 2018;

Rob White for his excellent interviews of the past two Foulkes Lecturers as well as for other contributions;

Contexts’ Columnists Susanne Vosmer (Quantitative Unease, since March 2016, for the quantitatively challenged among us, dedicated to demystifying psychotherapy research) & Derek Love (My World. You’re Welcome To It – for his irreverence and humour…now sadly lost to us);

book review editor Malcolm Peterson;

Elizabeth Nokes, for her regular reports from the GASi/IGA Library;

Spanish artist and art therapist Isabel Cercos who as GAGA, drew some GA themed cartoons for Contexts. One of my favourites is reproduced here;

frequent contributors: Arturo Ezquerro, Harold Behr, Earl Hopper, Kalliopi (Kelly) Panagiotopoulou & Angelika Golz;

GASi Presidents Robi Friedman & David Glyn, for delivering their words, despite the belief that they both harboured, that nobody reads them;

Coordinators of the GASi Summer School: Regine Scholz and Tija Despotovic, for publishing Summer School papers in Contexts;

the Editors of the Group Analytic Dictionary project, Svein Tjelta, Carmen O’Leary and Carla Penna, for their collaboration and involvement in the GA Concepts & Methods regular section;

Editor of Group Analysis Dieter Nitzgen, for his warm, constant, unobtrusive support;

former Editor of Contexts Terry Birchmore, for his patient and supportive tuition during my apprenticeship;

Brazilian designer Andre Pessoa, who, with great creativity and sensitivity to our needs, designed both the new GASi website and the current embedded version of Contexts. He was a joy to work with!;

new Editor of Contexts Vivienne Harte. Thanks Viv and GOOD LUCK!!;

last but not least, Malcolm Pines, for his warm support during my early years in the role. This work can often feel thankless and Malcolm wrote to me regularly with encouraging words that meant an enormous amount. He also made several contributions, one of which “Reminiscences and Reflections on My Life in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy” is published again in this issue. One thing that did not receive his support or approval was when Contexts went digital, in early 2016. He was very clearly against this change – he was far from being alone with this view. He wrote to me from time to time asking me whether I could arrange to send him a printed copy. This issue, my last one, is in part dedicated to Malcolm, who sadly left us recently;

and finally, YOU, dear reader, warmest thanks!

Peter Zelaskowski
peterzelaskowski@gmail.com